O’Malley Slams Hillary TPP Flip-Flop on the ‘Eve of the Democratic Debate’

11 Oct 2015

Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Democratic presidential candidate former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-MD) criticized his opponent Hillary Clinton for changing her position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement on the “eve of the Democratic debate,” when as Secretary of State she was “probably an architect.’

O’Malley said, “I was against the Trans-Pacific Partnership eight months ago because I believe it’s bad for the country. Thomas Jefferson once said that in matters of fashion one should swim with the current, but on matters of principle, one should stand like a rock. I believe we need to stop stumbling backwards into these bad trade deals that offshore American jobs and American profits. We need to build up our own industries in the United States. Yes, engage in trade but not at the expense of keeping our eye on the ball. Which is more jobs here, a stronger middle class here, wages that go up not down. What we saw from NAFTA was when you do the trade deal it opens up the flood gates multi-national corporations chase cheap labor abroad and uses the trade deals to evade environmental protections and standards for workers. It doesn’t help the United States here at home. I’m opposed to it, have been for a long time. I didn’t shift positions right on the eve of the Democratic debate.”